Brazil stumbled through a calamitous first half against Morocco in their opening World Cup 2026 fixture, yet somehow emerged from the break level at 1-1 — a result that told only part of the story.

Speaking at half-time on the BBC, Brazilian football analyst Tim Vickery delivered a withering assessment of Carlo Ancelotti's side, describing their performance as a game of "Whack-A-Mole" — plugging one gap only to expose another.

"This is precisely why Brazil are so dangerous: how many teams can be that bad and still be in the game? They're light in midfield, they have nothing down the right, so Raphinha is having to come out to that side. They're trying to find solutions during the course of the game. You can never discount Brazil — that individual talent can always hurt you."

Vickery singled out Vinicius Jr as the player "papering over the cracks" for a Selecao side that struggled for cohesion and structure throughout the opening 45 minutes.

Morocco dominated from the first whistle

Ancelotti raised eyebrows with his team selection, fielding Roger Ibanez and Douglas Santos at full-back and handing Brentford striker Igor Thiago a starting berth up front. The unconventional lineup was immediately put under severe pressure.

Morocco controlled the opening ten minutes with such authority that they pinned Brazil deep inside their own penalty area. By the 11th minute, Morocco's supporters were greeting every completed pass with mocking 'Ole' chants — a humiliating backdrop for one of football's most storied nations.

Brazil's best chance to take the lead against the run of play fell to Thiago, who failed to connect with a precise Vinicius Jr cross. Morocco punished that miss swiftly: Brahim Diaz played Ismael Saibari through on goal, and the midfielder produced a stunning lob over Alisson to give the Atlas Lions the lead.

Vinicius Jr sparks a response

The setback jolted Brazil into life. Shortly after the hydration break, Vinicius Jr delivered the moment of individual brilliance Vickery had warned opponents to fear, scoring a stunning goal to restore parity before the interval.

Lucas Paqueta came close to putting the Selecao ahead when his scissor kick was saved, with the rebound spinning beyond any onrushing Brazilian attacker. Ancelotti made two substitutions at half-time as he sought to impose more structure on a side that, by Vickery's own assessment, had been fortunate to remain in the contest.